Date: Monday, June 8, 2009, 10:31 PM
Reply to Shamim Chowdhury on Tipaimukh Dam:
It is true, political parties are engaged more in making profit by selling privileges than promoting the national interest. This could be said for both the major political parties of Bangladesh . Having said this however, Shamim Chowdhury's argument below to blame BNP than India for the Tipaimukh dam is preposterous. It is done either from his ignorance or at best from his political mindset. He says:
Shamim Chowdhury:
"It is obscure to believe India did not informed (sic) Bangladesh about their Tipaimukh project, therefore there is a possibility that BNP-Jamaat alliance gave a secret green signal to go ahead with this illegal unilateral decision and India took a chance on head bowing BNP-Jamaat government."
Abid Bahar:
How can Shamim Chowdhury be so sure when he is just assuming and saying "there is a possibility", "it is obscure"? How does he know for sure BNP did the "head bowing." to the Indian project? It is the BNP government that raised the Farakka problem to the United Nations. Moreover, we have seen in the Farakka dam project that India does these projects through extreme secrecy. Farakka was completed during the liberation war. We only know about these from Indian sources
Shamim Chowdhury:
People of Bangladesh learned about Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Project on river Barak, the second largest river in the region in Manipur as well as river Tuivai after Awami League led alliance came into power. For the month and half we have seen numerous seminar symposium making attempt to create awareness among common people as well as government.
Abid Bahar:
I myself as the member of the International Farakka Committee knew about the dam project in 1994. Then we were asking for both the equitable distributions of the Ganges water as well as to stop Tipaimuk dam. This Indian dam project with many others was identified in a map drawn by B.M. Abbas during the 70's. We have done many seminars on Indian dam projects during the 90's and later; including one in Dhaka in 2003 at the China -Bangladesh Friendship centre where local and foreign experts and BNP ministers were also present while we narrowly escaped AL's call for nationwide strikes. It is said that hese presures led India to sign a deal with Hasina.
Unfortunately, Shamim Chowdhury came to know about the Tipaimukh project only recently when India is asking the AL government to approve the deal including to give transit through Bangladesh .
Indian policy here is fooling us and rule and here we have politicians and socalled experts like Shamim Chowdhury working as the AL analyst.
I will not go any further to waste my time to point out Shamim Chowdhury's type of propaganda or spreading of ignorance as fact but will leave the readers to find out his base on "obscure" information and his understanding of the Tipaimukhdam problem..
_________ ______
Shamim Chowdhury's article below:
BNP-Jamaat alliance was in power when Indian government finalized Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Project in Manipur in 2003. The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (neepco), the government agency entrusted with the responsibility of building power projects in the northeast, has been handed the project. In November 2005, it floated a global tender for the project. In July 2006, the pre-bid qualification of the tender for the first phase wasd opened. Initially Indian government budgeted five thousand crore for this project.
The ball was finally rolling from Indian side in 2003 while the BNP-Jamaat alliance government in Bangladesh was sleeping. Irresponsible, incompetent Khaleda government did not utter a single word about Tipaimukh from 2001 to 2006 while in power. It is obscure to believe India did not informed Bangladesh about their Tipaimukh project, therefore there is a possibility that BNP-Jamaat alliance gave a secret green signal to go ahead with this illegal unilateral decision and India took a chance on head bowing BNP-Jamaat government.
When all the unthinkable was happening with Indian unilateral decision only few miles from Bangladesh soil, two successive government, Khaleda-Nizami and Iazuddin-Fokhruddin failed to raise the issue with India and failed to inform people of Bangladesh about its danger.
People of Bangladesh learned about Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Project on river Barak, the second largest river in the region in Manipur as well as river Tuivai after Awami League led alliance came into power. For the month and half we have seen numerous seminar symposium making attempt to create awareness among common people as well as government.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government had already started bilateral talks with Indian counter part on Tipaimukh project. Government has rightly decided to form two-examination committee. Out of this two committee, one will comprise all party parliamentarians and the other will include technical experts. Both committees will visit proposed Tipaimukh Hydro Eclectic project as fact finding mission, from there report Bangladesh will make its case on how to place Bangladesh interest on Indian unilateral decision on Tipaimukh hydro electric project.
Interestingly, Khaleda-Nizami alliance government all off a sadden wakeup from their deep sleep and trying to make some buzz ward for political reason against Tipaimukh project, the project that they gave secret green signal to Indian authority in 2003 selling the interest of Bangladesh for mere political gain.
The nation still vividly remembers, Khaleda Zia led her delegation to India on 26 to 28 May of 1992 to talk to her counter part P.V. Noroshima Rao then Indian Prime Minister. During this trip she forgot to raise the question about not getting due shares of water from Farraka Barrage. After coming back from the tour India , facing criticism from press then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia acknowledged that she forgot to raise the question with her Indian apart.
This is extremely sad for people of Bangladesh that Prime Minister Khaleda Zia can forget to raise a life and death question with Indian authority. Interestingly while Khaleda Zia forgot to raise the Farakka issue she signed a treaty with Indian government on June 26 1992 on Tinbigha corridor for 999 years lease. We know among many other problems Tinbigha is one of the thorns between India-Bangladesh relations, Khaleda getting a chance to be in power for three times could not resolve it.
We as a nation must find all facts about Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Multipurpose project before interest of Bangladesh is dashed out one more time. We must stand as a nation and not allow India to erect anything, which will be against the interest of Bangladesh . However, to do that we must first learn about all if and but about Tipaimukh project. I hope Khaleda Zia will disclose all facts about Tipaimukh projects and her government's actions and deeds with Indian government during her last stay in government 2001-2006. Nation need to know if there was any secret deal with Khaleda-Nizami, alliance government in 2003 before Indian government gave the final authorization on this project and formed The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (neepco).Shamim Chowdhury's argument below to blame BNP for the Tipaimukh dam instead of India is at best politically motivated. He says:
"It is obscure to believe India did not informed (sic) Bangladesh about their Tipaimukh project, therefore there is a possibility that BNP-Jamaat alliance gave a secret green signal to go ahead with this illegal unilateral decision and India took a chance on head bowing BNP-Jamaat government."
How can he be sure when he is just assuming. He says "there is a possibility. " How does Shamin Chowdhury know it was a "head bowing BNP-Jamaat government."
From: Shamim Chowdhury <veirsmill@yahoo. com>
To: Diagnose@yahoogroup s.com
Sent: Sunday, June 7, 2009 10:14:48 PM
Subject: [Diagnose] Re: Fw: Tipaimukh Dam: Strong Protest coming through political forces
BNP-Jamaat alliance was in power when Indian government finalized Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Project in Manipur in 2003. The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (neepco), the government agency entrusted with the responsibility of building power projects in the northeast, has been handed the project. In November 2005, it floated a global tender for the project. In July 2006, the pre-bid qualification of the tender for the first phase wasd opened. Initially Indian government budgeted five thousand crore for this project.
The ball was finally rolling from Indian side in 2003 while the BNP-Jamaat alliance government in Bangladesh was sleeping. Irresponsible, incompetent Khaleda government did not utter a single word about Tipaimukh from 2001 to 2006 while in power. It is obscure to believe India did not informed Bangladesh about their Tipaimukh project, therefore there is a possibility that BNP-Jamaat alliance gave a secret green signal to go ahead with this illegal unilateral decision and India took a chance on head bowing BNP-Jamaat government.
When all the unthinkable was happening with Indian unilateral decision only few miles from Bangladesh soil, two successive government, Khaleda-Nizami and Iazuddin-Fokhruddin failed to raise the issue with India and failed to inform people of Bangladesh about its danger.
People of Bangladesh learned about Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Project on river Barak, the second largest river in the region in Manipur as well as river Tuivai after Awami League led alliance came into power. For the month and half we have seen numerous seminar symposium making attempt to create awareness among common people as well as government.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government had already started bilateral talks with Indian counter part on Tipaimukh project. Government has rightly decided to form two-examination committee. Out of this two committee, one will comprise all party parliamentarians and the other will include technical experts. Both committees will visit proposed Tipaimukh Hydro Eclectic project as fact finding mission, from there report Bangladesh will make its case on how to place Bangladesh interest on Indian unilateral decision on Tipaimukh hydro electric project.
Interestingly, Khaleda-Nizami alliance government all off a sadden wakeup from their deep sleep and trying to make some buzz ward for political reason against Tipaimukh project, the project that they gave secret green signal to Indian authority in 2003 selling the interest of Bangladesh for mere political gain.
The nation still vividly remembers, Khaleda Zia led her delegation to India on 26 to 28 May of 1992 to talk to her counter part P.V. Noroshima Rao then Indian Prime Minister. During this trip she forgot to raise the question about not getting due shares of water from Farraka Barrage. After coming back from the tour India , facing criticism from press then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia acknowledged that she forgot to raise the question with her Indian apart.
This is extremely sad for people of Bangladesh that Prime Minister Khaleda Zia can forget to raise a life and death question with Indian authority. Interestingly while Khaleda Zia forgot to raise the Farakka issue she signed a treaty with Indian government on June 26 1992 on Tinbigha corridor for 999 years lease. We know among many other problems Tinbigha is one of the thorns between India-Bangladesh relations, Khaleda getting a chance to be in power for three times could not resolve it.
We as a nation must find all facts about Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Multipurpose project before interest of Bangladesh is dashed out one more time. We must stand as a nation and not allow India to erect anything, which will be against the interest of Bangladesh . However, to do that we must first learn about all if and but about Tipaimukh project. I hope Khaleda Zia will disclose all facts about Tipaimukh projects and her government's actions and deeds with Indian government during her last stay in government 2001-2006. Nation need to know if there was any secret deal with Khaleda-Nizami, alliance government in 2003 before Indian government gave the final authorization on this project and formed The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (neepco).
Sincerely,
Shamim Chowdhury
Maryland, USA
--- In Diagnose@yahoogroup s.com, kazi Mohammad Ismail <kazimohammadismail@ ....> wrote:
>
> Dear all
>
> Earlier wrote a message about Future Politics of Bangladesh will be concentred in tipaimukh dam. Now it is clear that social, political and civilian are coming strongly to protet contruction of tipaimukh dam.
>
> yesterday the biggest islamic party in Bangladesh, Jammat organised a grand rally at Dhaka. One day before some leftest parties (khalequzzaman among others) opined against tipaimukh dam. everyday there had seminars in this issue. See the links:
>
> http://nation. ittefaq.com/ issues/2009/ 05/22/news0893. htm
>
> http://jamaat- video.blogspot. com/
> http://www.youtube. com/bjiict
>
> http://www.kanglaon line.com/ index.php? template= kshow&kid=691
> http://www.e- pao.net/epSubPag eExtractor. asp?src=news_ section.opinions .Opinion_ on_Building_ of_Tipaimukh_ Dam
> http://ne.icrindia. org/tag/tipaimuk h-dam/
> http://www.bdnews24 .com/details. php?id=77785&cid=2
> http://www.downtoea rth.org.in/ cover.asp? foldername= 20061015&filename=news&sec_id=9&sid=52
>
> kazi mohammad ismail
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
